


Conversations

by ComposerEgg



Series: Revelation in the Light of Day [2]
Category: Subarashiki Kono Sekai | The World Ends With You
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Joshua is Neku's Dead Best Friend, Sign Language, autistic Joshua, autistic Neku
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-27
Updated: 2018-09-27
Packaged: 2019-07-17 15:29:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16098494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ComposerEgg/pseuds/ComposerEgg
Summary: “My warmth is an illusion and Iwillturn ice cold if you don’t get off of me,” he says, an icicle hand being lifted up, blue-tinged skin creeping closer.But the threat doesn’t compare to the chill that seeps into Neku’s bones at the reminder.But it's a Conversation, I just can't have tonight.Sequel toAnything To Make You Stay





	Conversations

**Author's Note:**

> Shoutout to the beta-readers who read this chapter over!!! [Cavesalamander](http://cavesalamander.tumblr.com/) and [Nevbix](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkMidniteMage/)!!!

“You know you’re my best friend, right Neku?” Joshua asks, looking up at him.

Neku nods, a smirk on his face. “Of course.”

“So you know, I mean it when I say, from the bottom of my heart, that I love you.”

“ _Yes,_ Josh.”

“So please, for the _love of god_ , get your ass off of me.”

Neku bursts out laughing, pent up air wheezing out of his lungs. He manages to not fall from his spot, plopped atop Josh, who was laying on the couch and was obviously prime sitting space.

“Nah,” he says between breathes. “I think I’ll stay here. You’re warm.”

“My warmth is an illusion and I _will_ turn ice cold if you don’t get off of me,” he says, an icicle hand being lifted up, blue-tinged skin creeping closer.

But the threat doesn’t compare to the chill that seeps into Neku’s bones at the reminder. “Oh. Yeah, I forgot.” He shuffles his body to the other side of the couch, letting Josh sit up. Prays Josh thinks it’s because of the threat, not the knowledge.

Joshua is dead. Has been dead for more than a year.

“Sorry,” Josh says. He’d been saying it all day. Every misstep or inconvenience since he showed up at Hachiko for the first time since the game warranted an apology. Smiles and excitement giving way to flinching anxiety.

“It’s…” Neku sighs. “It’s _not_ fine. What you did. I’m still mad. I mean, you _shot yourself_ , you gambled with my memories of you for a power trip that jeopardized our friendship. And I understand your reasons _why_ , but that doesn’t excuse it.” His mom is out on a business trip, thankfully, or he’d have to insist they do this at the creepy sewer place.

Neku’s not sure if Josh actually has an apartment, anymore, now that he thinks about it.

“I know,” says Josh, pulling his feet up on the couch, arms wrapped around his knees. “And if you need more time to think, or shout, or… Don’t want to hang out, I understand.”

A groan escapes his lips as Neku resists the urge to facepalm. Instead, he pointedly points at Josh, and then signs [You’re an idiot.]

“I mean…” [Yeah, true, but why?] Josh signs back, and Neku snorts.

“Because, you fool, if I didn’t want to hang out I wouldn’t have messaged you _every single day_ asking if you could come.” He rolls his eyes. “I’m mad, but I don’t hate you.”

A smile creeps onto Josh’s face, and he flops to the side, laying on top of Neku. “You’re too nice to me.”

“I’m not going to cast you away now that I know why you were so flaky before.” Neku laughs, running his fingers through Josh’s hair. It’s soft, silky smooth, perfect for soothing the calamity clustered in his head. “Tell me, though…”

Josh looks up, eyes meeting for the briefest second before they both glance away. “What do you want to know? I’ll tell you anything, I promise.”

“Tell me everything you should’ve told me when you were alive. Tell me all the things I never got to know about you.” 

Humming, Joshua closes his eyes, face falling into a calm serenity. A peaceful lake, crystal clear still water, with a soft smile he looks like an--

“So my dad is an Angel.” 

And Josh just _has_ to break the spellbinding moment the instant he opens his mouth. Of course. Neku should’ve expected nothing less. “I’m calling bullshit on that.”

“No, really!” Josh says, covering his mouth to stifle a laugh. “You’ve met him! Mr. H is my dad on like, all levels but biological and legal. And once you’re dead the _legal_ aspect doesn’t matter.”

“Wait, wait wait,” he says, holding up a hand. “ _Mr. Hanekoma?_ Your _dad_? How even…?” Neku’s never met Joshua’s dad (unless it _is_ Mr. H), but the concept of a bigoted gun-gifting Texan and Hanekoma being the same person makes his brain feel like it’s shoving a square block into a circle hole. _Ugh_. Joshua is going to be the second death of him at this rate.

“I told you during the Game, didn’t I? I met him when I was ten, and he told me all about the UG, what I saw. He… He looked after me, since my parents never did. Before I met you, he was all I had. Patching up my bumps and bruises, listening to my special interests. Filling my head with all the info I could ever want about the Game.” While he speaks, he starts to pick at his face, nails digging at the flawless surface, finding no purchase and trying to peel anyway.

Neku sighs, and reaches into his pocket, procuring a textured tangle. It’s rubbery, bumpy, and has a good squish, clear and purple and blue pieces alternating to make a pattern. A favorite of his, but for now, he hands it to Josh. “Even if you can’t stay injured, don’t hurt yourself. So you’re saying Mr. H is an _Angel_?”

“Thanks.” Josh takes it and starts to fiddle, twisting it around his hands as Neku goes back to his hair. Maybe he should do some braids? “Yeah, Angel. I didn’t know ‘til I got my current job. Top secret classified info, there. I’ve also got the fun uncle, Koki.”

“Who?” Yeah. He’s gonna braid Josh’s hair. Josh either won’t care, or will like it. And if he doesn’t, that’s his problem.

“Kariya.” Neku makes an inquiring noise, and Josh sighs. “Lollipop?”

“Oh, him! Why the fuck is a Reaper the fun uncle?” he asks.

“Cuz I met him when I was ten and he gave me candy and signed with me. He still won’t tell me how old he is.”

It goes like this: Neku lets Josh ramble about the past. From his first meeting with Hanekoma, his first meeting with Kariya, to all the battles and weird creatures he saw. How his parents made him afraid of telling anyone.  

“Okay though,” Neku says, finishing a braid, “why don’t I remember forgetting you? Or you _dying_? I feel like that’d stick hard in my brain.”

Josh’s hands still, and the tangle falls to his lap. “I… made you forget,” he whispers. “It’d be hard to pretend to be alive if you remembered me dying. If you remembered that week where I was dead and you’d forgotten.”

The static at the edge of his brain buzzes louder, an electric razor shaving the back of his neck, leaving clipped, incomplete edges.  He tries to punch a hole in the white noise, clutching his head as it rubberband-rebounds.

A hand touches his cheek, a soft caress, and the static fades. The pounding in his head goes away as he looks at Josh again. _Did he just…?_

“It’s not advisable to try and fight static, dear,” he says, drawing back his hand.

“Then give me my memories back, Josh,” Neku hisses. “They’re _mine_ after all! I want to remember it.”

Joshua sits up, turning around to face Neku. His lap is barren and cold without Josh acting as a blanket. Tendrils of snow caress his limbs with an icy hold, runoff sinking into his soul.

“I know I promised to tell you everything you wanted to know, but that… I’ll tell you later. I promise we’ll have that talk, but it’s a conversation I just _can’t_ have tonight.”

Neku must blink, because one second Josh is there, and the next he’s not, leaving the apartment as empty and cold as his bones.

**Author's Note:**

> And thus, the series begins :D :D :D
> 
> If you like this, drop me a comment and kudos below!
> 
> [For statements about transformative works based on mine and concrit, along with where to find me, check out my profile page linked here!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ComposerEgg/profile)  
> (summary: I love everything people do based of my works and wanna know!)
> 
> [For info about my twewy discord server (including rules accessible outside the server itself) check out this link!](http://composeregg.tumblr.com/twewy-discord)


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